This is the range of scores for your hand after 1000 round simulations*

* These graphs show the results of simulations of rounds where a player starts with your cards, wins the bid, and then declares the trump suit. When running each round simulation, the remaining cards are randomly dealt to the rest of the players and all players (including you) are assumed to play the rest of the round using the 'Standard' skill level.

The Safe Bid indicator is shown at the score that 90% of the simulations achieved. The Recommended Bid indicator is shown at the score that 75% of the simulations achieved.

For all three difficulty levels the cards are dealt completely at random to you and to the computer players. Computer players are not given any special advantage and they do not know what cards are in your hand or in any of the other players' hands. The difference between the easy, standard, and pro players is their memory of what cards have been played and their strategies used to choose their plays. If you are finding that the computer is beating you, you will likely benefit from understanding how the computer chooses its next move.

Easy Computer Strategy

Bidding:

Generate a maximum willing bid by picking a random number. Increment the bid until it is above the maximum willing bid, then pass.

Declaring Trump:

Declare trump suit with whichever suit has the highest sum of card values.

Passing Cards To Declarer:

Pass a random set of cards.

Passing Cards As The Declarer:

Pass a random set of cards.

Trick-Taking:

Play a random legal card.

Standard Computer Strategy

Bidding:

Simulate many rounds with cards randomly dealt to standard strategy players. Set the maximum willing bid at the round score achieved in more than 83% of the simulations.

Declaring Trump:

Simulate many rounds with cards randomly dealt to standard strategy players. Pick the trump suit that resulted in the highest willing bid.

Passing Cards To Declarer:

First prefer not to pass any cards that result in a meld score for your hand. Then, prefer to first pass highest trump cards. Then prefer highest non-trump cards.

Passing Cards As The Declarer:

First prefer not to pass any cards that result in a meld score for our hand. Then, prefer to first pass non-ace cards that would make us void in a suit, then prefer non-trump kings, then non-trump queens, then jack of diamonds (except if just received from partner), then lowest non-trump cards, then lowest trump cards. Finally, if necessary, we would choose to pass the cards that contribute the least amount of points to our meld score.

Trick-Taking When Leading:

Remembering what has been played and what was shown during passing and melding, play the highest trump card that is guaranteed to take the trick. Otherwise, play the highest non trump card.

Trick-Taking When Following Lead:

If we don't have a play that can beat what is currently in the trick pile, then if our partner played the current highest trick card then we play our lowest counter. Otherwise we play our lowest card. If we do have play options that could beat what is currently in the trick pile, then we play our highest winning card unless we are playing last. If we are playing last and we can take the trick then we play our lowest card that can take the trick.

Pro Computer Strategy

Bidding:

Simulate many rounds with cards randomly dealt to standard strategy players. Set the maximum willing bid at the round score achieved in more than 75% of the simulations.

Declaring Trump:

Simulate many rounds with cards randomly dealt to standard strategy players. Pick the trump suit that resulted in the highest willing bid.

Passing Cards To Declarer:

First prefer not to pass any cards that result in a meld score for your hand. Then, prefer to pass highest trump cards (except 9's of trump). Then prefer aces. Then prefer 9s of trump. Then prefer queen of spades or jack of diamonds. Then prefer jacks. Then prefer nines. Then pass the cards that contribute the least amount of points to our meld score.

Passing Cards As The Declarer:

First prefer not to pass any cards that result in a meld score for our hand. Then prefer non-trump kings, then non-trump queens, then jack of diamonds (except if just received from partner), then lowest non-trump cards, then lowest trump cards. Finally, if necessary, we would choose to pass the cards that contribute the least amount of points to our meld score.

Trick-Taking When Leading:

First remove bad options: For each legal play, simulate the rest of the round 200 times with random deals of the unseen cards. If any play results in an average round score that is more than half a point lower than the highest average play, then remove it from the options considered.

Remembering what has been played and what was shown during passing and melding, play the highest trump card that is guaranteed to take the trick. Otherwise, play the highest non trump card that is guaranteed to take the trick. Otherwise, play the lowest card.

Trick-Taking When Following Lead:

First remove bad options: For each legal play, simulate the rest of the round 200 times with random deals of the unseen cards. If any play results in an average round score that is more than half a point lower than the highest average play, then remove it from the options considered.

If we don't have a play that can beat what is currently in the trick pile, then if our partner played the current highest trick card then we play our lowest counter. Otherwise we play our lowest card. If we do have play options that could beat what is currently in the trick pile, then we play our highest winning card unless we are playing the last trick card. If we are playing last and we can take the trick then we play our lowest card that can take the trick.

Settings

Hint/Analyze button on all levels:

Undo button on all levels:

Sort cards left to right:

Score in multiples of ten:

Card deck count:

Winning score:

Bidding speed:

Minimum bid:

Passing cards count:

Trick-taking speed:

Trick-taking display:

Preferred difficulty:

Board Background:

Card Color:

Statistics

Easy

Standard

Pro

Total

Games Played

0

Wins

0

Win Percentage

Averages when you declare trump:

Avg Bid Contract

0

Avg Meld

0

Avg Counters

Avg Positive Round Score

Make Contract %

Averages when opponent declares trump:

Avg Meld

0

Avg Counters

Avg Round Score

Pinochle Rules

Pinochle is a team card game played in rounds.

Card Deck

Round Stages

A game of pinochle is played in rounds. Each round has 3 stages: Bidding, Melding, and Trick-Taking. At the start of each round, all cards are dealt to all four players.

Bidding

The first stage of a round is the bidding stage. Players bid on the minimum points their team will be able to score in the round.

The first person to bid is required to start the bidding at a minimum bid (editable in app settings). In clockwise order, each player either increases the bid by at least one or passes. The bidding is complete when all but one player has passed.

When a player wins the bidding stage the contract is set for their team. Their team will need to score at least as many points as they bid or their overall score will be reduced by their contract.

The player that wins the bid then declares what the trump (highest) suit will be for the rest of the round.

Passing Cards

Melding

All players evaluate their hands and lay down specific combinations of cards worth different points. The following table shows all of the meld combinations and their point values:

Type

Combination

Points

Single

Double

x3

x4

Runs

A,10,K,Q,J Trump

15

150

225

300

Marriages

K,Q, Trump

4

8

12

16

K,Q

2

4

6

8

Arounds

A each suit

10

100

150

200

K each suit

8

80

120

160

Q each suit

6

60

90

120

J each suit

4

40

60

90

Pinochle

Q♤,J♢

4

30

60

90

Dix

9 Trump

1

2

Melds may share cards between them except that the marriage contained in a run is not counted.

After meld points are counted, all cards are returned to players' hands to begin the final stage of the round.

Trick-Taking

Round Scosring

Following trick play, the meld and counters are added.

If the declaring team scores enough points to meet or exceed their bid, all the earned points are added to their previous score. Otherwise, their previous score is reduced by the amount bid.

If the non-declaring team fails to earn a single point while taking tricks they do not receive credit for the points that they melded.

Game Over

Rounds are played until one team reaches the winning score. If both sides reach the winning score on the same hand, the bidding side wins. The winning score can be set in the app settings.